Course Schedule

PSY 198: Brain, Mind, and Behavior

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Class Schedule

Readings indicated below should be read on or before the date they appear. The instructor reserves the right to alter this schedule or other terms of the syllabus as she deems necessary. Mark the dates of quizzes, assignments, and exams in your calendar now. Be sure to let me know in advance of any known conflicts.

*BNL: Bloom, Nelson, & Lazerson text; *C: Calvin text

DAY	DATE	TOPIC	READING/ ASSIGNMENTS	IN CLASS	DUE THAT DAY
W	31-Aug	Introduction to the Course; Ways of Knowing, and Asking Questions About the Brain	BNL: pp. 1-17; Reaction Time Assignment	Lecture	nothing
F	2-Sept	More about Ways of Knowing: Thinking about Cause and Effect	Handouts; Get Anxiety and Operational Definitions Assignment	Lecture	Reaction Time Summary
M	5-Sept		*Labor Day Holiday!!* Don't work too hard!
W	7-Sept	Generic Research Methods Concepts	Read Mark Mitchell's lecture notes on methods; practice your new knowledge using the links and quizzes at his website!	Lecture; work on Anxiety Assignment	Start looking for materials to use to build your brain!
F	9-Sept	Finding out about the brain: Research Methods in Biopsychology	C: Ch. 1; Also Neuroscience Methods; Explore the neuroscience lab(click on the Research Methods link) in your Foundations of Neuroscience CD; check out this brain scan website at PBS. Finally, read about Penfield and try your hand at brain stimulation	Lecture; demonstrations	Anxiety and Operational Definitions Assignment
M	12-Sept	Points of View: Evolutionary Theory and Behavior	Read Paul Kenyon's lecture notes on Evolutionary Psychology; Also, this on-line paper from the Center for Evolutionary Psychology	Lecture	Brain Stimulation Assignment
W	14-Sept	Knowing about Brain, Mind, and Behavior: The Organization of the Nervous System	BNL: pp. 17-26; C: Ch. 2; Read more about the organization of the nervous system here; to get ready for your brain building,check out this awesome website on brain anatomy from PBS; also, review this sheep brain dissection site from the Exploratorium!	Lecture	Be sure to bring your brain building materials to class!
F	16-Sept	Organization of the Nervous System, contin.	Build your own brain	Build your own brain	Brain Models
M	19-Sept	Neuron anatomy and physiology	BNL: Ch. 2; C: Ch. 3; Review neuronal communication in your Foundations of Neuroscience CD	Lecture, demonstrations	nothing
W	21-Sept	Neuron anatomy and physiology, contin.	Review the action potential here!	Measuring the Speed of the Nerve Impulse	nothing
Th	22-Sept		*First Day of Autumn*
F	23-Sept	Nervous System Development	BNL: Ch. 3; Review neural development at this interactive site	Lecture	Study for 1st Exam
M	26-Sept	Sensing and Moving	BNL: Ch. 4; C: Ch. 4 and Ch. 5; explore the visual system on your Foundations of Neuroscience CD	Lecture; get essay options for 1st exam	Study for 1st Exam
W	28-Sept	Sensing and Moving, contin.	Check out your blind spot here and here. Then think about what is happening here. Take a look at some cool visual illusions here. Finally, read about lateral inhibition and check out some visual illusions at this site, and at the links near the bottom of the site's page.	Lecture; testing your senses	Study for 1st Exam
F	30-Sept	*First Exam!*
M	3-Oct.	*Rosh Hashanah;* Sensing and Moving, contin.	BNL: Ch. 5; C: Ch. 6	Lecture	Get Sense Assignment
W	5-Oct	*First day of Ramadan;* Sensing and Moving, contin.	Read through this website	Lecture	Sense Assignment
F	7-Oct	Homeostasis	BNL: Ch. 6	Lecture; get eating disorder survey	nothing
M	10-Oct		*OCTOBER BREAK!* Enjoy the beautiful fall colors!
W	12-Oct	*Yom Kippur;* Stress and the Brain	BNL: pp. 264-269; Read how stress changes your brain	Lecture; get alcohol survey	eating disorder survey
F	14-Oct	Hunger and Eating	Read this article by Takako Hara; also, this article on the biology of eating disorders	Lecture	alcohol survey
M	17-Oct	Drugs and Behavior	Check out this site for the effects of specific drugs	Lecture	nothing
W	19-Oct	Rhythms and Cycles	BNL: Ch. 7; C: Ch. 7 and Ch. 8	Lecture; get sleep assignment	nothing
F	21-Oct	Rhythms and Cycles, contin.	A student paper on biological clocks; also take a test on how well you read emotional expressions!	Lecture	nothing
M	24-Oct	Emotions and Drives	BNL: Ch. 8;	Lecture	Turn in the results of your emotional expressions test
W	26-Oct	Emotions and Drives, contin.	C: Ch. 9; Also, read these notes on motivational theories	Lecture; measuring the effect of emotion on heart rate	sleep assignment
F	28-Oct	Emotions and Drives, contin.	C: Ch. 10	Lecture; Get essay options for 2nd exam	Study for exam!
M	31-Oct.	*Happy Halloween!* The Psychobiology of Zombies and Vampires	A student report on zombies; a journalist's report on zombies	Lecture	Effect of Emotion on Heart Rate Summary; Study for exam!
T	1-Nov		*ELECTION DAY!* All around the world, people die fighting for a right that is yours today. Don't throw away this privilege and responsibility; vote today!
W	2-Nov	*Second Exam!*
F	4-Nov	*Eid al-Fitr;* Learning and Memory	BNL: Ch. 10; C: Ch. 11 Also, go here and complete this memory test. Be sure to print out your results and bring them to class on Monday!
M	7-Nov	Learning and Memory, contin.	C: Ch 12	lecture	NBC Memory Test Results
W	9-Nov	Learning and Memory, contin.	BNL: Ch. 9	video	nothing
F	11-Nov	*Veterans' Day;* Thinking and Consciousness	BNL: Ch. 11; Stroop Test	lecture
M	14-Nov	Thinking and Consciousness, contin.	C: Ch. 13; Depression and Life Events	video	Stroop test Summary
W	16-Nov	The Malfunctioning Mind	BNL: Ch. 12; C: Ch. 14 investigate the on-line therapist, Eliza		Depression and Life Events Summary
F	18-Nov	The Malfunctioning Mind, contin.	Mental Rotation Task	lecture	nothing
M	21-Nov	Sex,Gender, and Sexuality	C: Ch. 15; handouts; take the sex ID test at the BBC website!	lecture	Mental Rotation Task Summary
W	23-Nov		*Thanksgiving Break!* Have a restful holiday
F	25-Nov	*Thanksgiving Break, contin.*
M	28-Nov	Sex, Gender, and Sexuality, contin.	C: Ch. 16	lecture	Sex ID test results
W	30-Nov	Parenting and Attachment	C: Ch. 17; handouts	lecture	nothing
F	2-Dec	The Psychobiology of Social Relationships	handouts	lecture	nothing
M	5-Dec	The Psychobiology of Social Relationships, contin.	C: Ch. 18	lecture; Prisoner's Dilemma task	Study for exam!
W	7-Dec	Human Subjects: Ethical Issues	handouts	lecture; case studies	Study for exam!
F	9-Dec	Nonhuman Animal Subjects: Ethical Issues	read this site also; read about animal welfare issues here	lecture; case studies; get essay options for last exam	Study for exam!
*Week of Dec. 12-17th*		*Third Exam--self-scheduled during exam week*

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